4 footprints Bladesinger series
by Awatere11
Summary: Fourth in the bladesinger series, Jack decides to surprise Ianto was a new home ... well to say Ianto isn't impressed is an understatement and Miller suffers for Bad-Daddy's actions. Language warning because Ianto is angry & sad because John hart is involved ...again.
1. Chapter 1

It was hot and Ianto lay on top of the covers desperately hoping for a temperature drop any time soon. Naked except for a pair of black silk boxers, Ianto felt like his brain was melting.

Being three stories up with all the doors and windows open should ensure a breeze right? Nope. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Jack had fallen in love with the house on the first viewing (without Ianto) and had purchased it as a surprise giving no bloody thought to the lack of underfloor heating in winter or the bloody fuckery lack of air con for summer.

No, the third story master bedroom with a bathroom hot tub and fireplace (god! I ask you) opening to a roof garden and pool had won him over. The yard was a shambles, the décor hideous and Ianto hated the layout with a passion.

The pool, yucky dead things were floating in it and Jack's enthusiastic claims that he would clean it didn't even rate acknowledgement. So much work to do, such an ugly house. Ianto knew it would take months to whip it into shape and Jack repeatedly telling him both vehicles fit in the underground garage wasn't the cherry on top he thought it was. Every time the Austin Martin was driven out of the bunker type garage Ianto could hear it scrape the undercarriage. He was probably going to have to downgrade to a higher wheelbase. He loved that car and had even managed to find a baby seat that fit the back seat safely much to Jack's chagrin. Well, fucker was finally going to win that argument then.

He was sure the balcony was unstable too. He was bloody sure Miller wasn't going in that garden until Owen had the soil test back. Probably full of dog shit or something. It had been so cheap there was probably had a body buried in the thick undergrowth or some shit! Oh and don't even ask about the shit hole they had whimsically referred to as the kitchen.

The to-do list was so extensive that Ianto had opened a file on his PDA and Jack had stopped checking it after his cry of horror at _item number 205. Hot-tub removal_ was met with a death stare that could curdle milk. Well, maybe he would keep it or just upgrade but Jack didn't need to know that. When in the dog house one should wallow! Bad Jack! Bad, bad Jack!

Ianto had tried to be positive, honest he had but really? REALLY? The whole week was a bust, from ""Honey I brought a house" to today's little, "No I'm sure that was all the boxes, um no maybe one or two fell off the trailer".

Despite three backtracks through the route taken from HUB to house the box Ianto needed was lost and Miller was inconsolable as his nightlight and a collection of minion toys were gone.

_No we can fit it on the trailer. No there's no room in the cab. Don't be silly, why do an extra trip later for one stupid box? Why? _

Ianto buried his face in the pillow and screamed with rage as Miller's cry rang out again.

Jack was out weevil chasing with John and Ianto thought to himself that it had better be what they were doing because if Jack made another "wonderful" impulse buy he was going to kill him!

With a groan Ianto rose to collect Miller from the nursery across from the master. At one and a half he wanted his cuddly blanket when tired or stressed and Ianto was grateful that he had stuffed that on the floor of the car with myfy the stuffed dragon after saving them from the box Jack was loading into the trailer with gusto.

The downstairs door banged and footsteps pounded up the stairs. Ianto turned and expected to see Jack but to his surprise it was John who stood transfixed drinking in the sight of a scantily clad Ianto and baby Miller standing surrounded by a halo of light at the top of the stairs.

Ianto's hair had regrown since his baby blues and Ianto rarely wore it loose, preferring a warrior's tail. To see it loose in a silvery blue halo about Ianto's face and shoulders was truly a sight to behold.

"Hey Chickie," John tried for nonchalance, "thought you would both be asleep."

"Where's Jack?" Ianto asked slowly as he took a few steps down the stairs.

"Er clean up with Gwennie" John smiled and Ianto knew he was lying. Gwen didn't do clean up, not since she declared she was "preggers" and didn't want to "catch" anything.

"Really" Ianto growled.

John gave a nervous giggle then shot into the room which filled most of the second story and that Jack had declared his during the second viewing while Ianto was still raging silently downstairs at the shitty kitchen. Ianto hadn't realised that they had a house mate until moving day when extra shit came into the house in black rubbish bags with "John's Shit" written on them in neon yellow paint.

Of course it wasn't until later Ianto thought about it and realised that John already knew about the door to the room under the stairs and had probably done the first viewing with Jack. Pricks chose a home without him!

John had tried to hang a hideous picture outside his door once. Only once and Ianto made it clear that john's shit stayed in john's shit-box! Yeah? The door stayed shut and the sound proofing was going up as soon as possible with NO beddy-time visitors allowed in said shit-box until then.

Ianto muttered to himself as he went downstairs to shitty-kitchen to get Miller a bottle. Another point of argument as Jack thought he was too big for a bottle at night but Ianto wouldn't even hear of it. He ate with his father's appetite and was a lovely solid little boy for all of Ianto's attention.

God! All they had done lately was argue. Miller was too big to carry everywhere … Jack thought he should be walking already even though Owen was saying it was normal for some to be slower when they were give a rough start to life. 18 months was not too old to be crawling still. That had led to the argument that Ianto's baby blues were not his fault which, of course, made him think maybe it was! If not why had Owen's comment made Jack bring it up …repeatedly.

John was just a friend and no, Gwen was not talking about him when she made comments about the smell last week. Ianto knew he smelled something bad even if Jack denied it. The last two weeks everything smelled awful and Ianto had thought it was the hub but whatever it was, it had followed him!

Ianto knew Jack had hoped moving out of the hub would help ease Ianto's insecurities but god, why couldn't he have talked to him. It would have been nice to feel like he had a choice, was a partner in all this instead of just another piece of jack's furniture to be moved about until he fitted in with the ghastly decor.

As Miller settled to sleep in Ianto's arms with the bottle now empty Ianto was left to wander the upper level sadly as he pondered his next move.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack was weary. The whole week had been a disaster from go to woe. The house was great. Ianto had been less than enthused and Jack belatedly realised it was because he hadn't been part of the process. Really though, it wouldn't have been a surprise otherwise, right?

It had been a fluke to have even found the house during a routine weevil hunt (no he was NOT telling Ianto he caught a weevil in the back yard thank you very much … not stepping on that landmine!) and it had ticked all the boxes.

Big, tall and sexy yeah baby! The pool was enclosed so Miller was safe, the balcony was perfect for breakfasts in summer and Jack had stood transfixed in the bathroom imagining Ianto's hair floating about his crotch in the hot tub so long John had thought he'd had a stroke or something.

Ianto's reaction of horror and hate had completely floored him and he prayed to the Gods that it would grow on him. Jack saw the potential in the place, Ianto only saw the bad.

Gwen had been demanding but right. They had spent the last five hours going over the staff rosters to find little lee-way so Jack could spend more time with his boys in the new home. Maybe if he was here more Ianto would view it more as a home, not a prison.

Jack let himself in quietly and as he passed shitty-kitchen (damn now he was calling it that) he noted an empty bottle on the counter. Really? He thought they had talked about Miller's night feeds. Boy was getting fat, well OK pudgy then.

Entering the main bedroom, Jack refused to call it a master, Jack found Ianto asleep on top of the silk sheets with Miller zonked out beside him. Ianto was dressed only in boxers and a light sheen of sweat on his chest made Jack's mouth water. Damn the imp for cock blocking what might have been a great wake-up idea. Miller was on his stomach with his fingers locked in Ianto's hair and Jack couldn't resist a few quick selfies with them before settling down to kick off his boots.

Yeah, I know. Bad idea which Jack realised as his boot sailed through the air and out through the open window to land with a large hollow thud on the decking outside.

Ianto's grunt of shock coupled with Miller's shriek was a pretty good indicator that he would have been better off to have slept on the daybed in the den. Or the "doghouse" as Ianto had kept referring to it.

He scooped Miller up to apologise forgetting about the hair and Ianto yelped with pain as several strands came away with the digits of doom. Not realising this, Jack had proceeded to bounce Miller on his knee while crooning apologies and raining kisses about his face. The milk curdled mess Miller then proceeded to fill his lap, the bed and Ianto's hair with as he had tried to go back to sleep had been a really, really unfortunate moment.

Jack knew Ianto didn't want to hear from him now so he took Miller to the second level and knocked on the door. John opened it and smiled as he saw his nephew in a right snotty state. He reached for the baby and Jack followed them into the room looking about with glee.

"What happened to you slug" John crooned as he wiped his face with a damp cloth. The mottled cheeks were a pretty good indicator that he had been crying and the smell of stale milk also a good sign that the poor little chick had thrown up.

Jack walked around the room admiring some of John's eclectic finds. An old miner's lamp sat next to a meteorite and the Rubik cube in eight colours had interested Jack for all of the time it took him to realise he was only mucking it up more.

"Ianto said no alien tech Johnny, "Jack waved it over his shoulder as John kissed Miller's red cheeks tenderly.

"Oi! I swiped that off toad face! Came from toys are us or something, "John reached for his toy with a frown. "Nothing alien about it. Came from this period."

"Rally?' Jack was intrigued. When had John and toad fa … damn! When had John and Owen started swapping toys? God, if they ever bonded the place was in real trouble.

Jack loved John's treasure trove of wonders and also knew Ianto would never let him do the house like this. Maybe the doghouse since that was almost exclusively going to be his for the foreseeable future.

Miller was gurgling now and Jack smiled as he watched his son tweak John's nose. John's honk each time he did it had Miller in hysterics. A sound alerted Jack to the fact they weren't alone and he turned just in time to see something on Ianto's face before it smoothed to its usual frown of doom. Had that really been sadness? Had Jack really got it that wrong that he had hurt his mate with this change of pace?

Ianto stepped forward with still damp hair from the shower and reached for Miller who yelled and twisted away from him burying his face in Joh's neck.

"Aw, look. Stinky beast wants Uncle John, eh?" John said playfully pretending to bite Miller's fingers.

Miller smiled at John and patted his face babbling in baby with a serious look on his own face.

"Really? You wanna watch the playboy channel?" John gasped and Jack laughed at his son's serious little face as he told off his uncle. He looked so much like Ianto when he did that.

Ianto's arms dropped to his sides as John walked over to a shiny rock and handed it to Miller who squealed with delight and immediately put it in his mouth. When Ianto made an unhappy noise John turned and smiled at him.

"Don't worry mommy, it's clean. Honest" he laughed.

Ianto turned to see Jack smiling too and thought they were laughing at him. Fine! With a grunt Ianto turned and fled the room. Jack recalled the flash of sadness and decided to follow.

"Bug OK with you bud?" he said over his shoulder noting John's absent nod as he settled in the lazy boy with Miller to play some "kill the zombie" game Ianto would probably not approve of.

Jack found Ianto back in the main room. With a snap Ianto closed the phone he had been speaking into and turned to give Jack a full glare. Jack shrugged and tried to get a hug which Ianto deftly sidestepped and Jack was left grabbing at air.

With a snarl Ianto pulled a bag down from the wardrobe and threw it across the room to land by the door. His bug out bag? Jack frowned with confusion then turned to ask Ianto what was happening when a familiar grinding noise filled the air.

Jack took the stairs two at the time with John following slower due to his fragile bundle of doom and so Jack was first to reach the Tardis as the doors flew open.

River exited and snatched the baby from the fast approaching John with a cry of glee and swung him around in the air.

"Careful, he just threw up everywhere not long ago" Jack warned with a laugh.

The doctor exited next, oh wow new face? He frowned at Jack then started to wriggle a finger.

"Call me Frobisher and I'll hurt you Jack" he warned with a Scottish lit then laughed.

Ianto brushed past into the Tardis then stepped back out and reached for Miller who repeated his refusal to go to him.

"Leave him. He doesn't want me. Jack says I'm doing it wrong anyway. "Ianto said to River softly before disappearing back through the blue door.

With a sound of regret she passed the baby to Jack who looked at the doctor for clarification as she stepped through the door after Ianto.

"Just for a few days, yeah?" the Doctor said clapping Jack on the shoulder, "he just needs to take a wee break to think a few things through.'

The Doctor then entered the Tardis leaving Jack to stare at the fading box and his retreating mate. What just happened? He turned to John who was stood with a similar look of shock. Miller started to cry and Jack realised they were in trouble now.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days and still no Ianto. Jack's anger had quickly turned to despair as he realised he didn't know Miller's routine and his son's repeated temper tantrums letting him know how wrong he was each time he tried something were down right scary. Like Damien Omen style scary.

If he'd spent less time critiquing Ianto's parenting skills and more time actually listening to Ianto's reasoning for their system this would be easier to handle. He had never seen this level of temper before and remembered scoffing at Ianto when he had told him about a particularly bad day while alone with the monster. What had he told him? Oh yeah, maybe he needed to watch a DVD or read a book by Mr Spock or someone else off star trek he'd heard wrote a book about kids. Ianto's cold stare was not one of agreement.

OK so maybe he wasn't as baby savvy as he had first thought and yeh, OK, maybe there was method to Ianto's madness with the weird bath times and reading time after each meal. Or whatever. Something like that wasn't it? Damn, if only he could remember the sequences.

"No Bad-Daddy!" was the favourite cry of rage and a second choice was "Tadda say No to you too!" letting Jack know that just because Ianto wasn't there it didn't mean Miller was subject to bribes of forbidden foods like chocolate. Little bugger ate it even as he told him off though. Nice to know there was a bit of him in there, aye?

The title "Bad-Daddy" seemed to have stuck and Jack missed his little happy man.

Gwen had supplied baby books, a DVD and even her own Welshman in an attempt to help but telling her he didn't cuddle the same had not gone down well no matter how he kept saying he meant with Miller and now he was out of ideas.

Miller's repeated cries of "where my Tadda?" and "want my Tadda pweese" if given a choice in anything had broken Jack's heart. His son's wide tear filled eyes and pleading voice could not make him feel any shittier than he did now and he had finally accepted that this mess was his and his alone. Each time the front door opened his little face lit up only to be shut down again when he didn't see the only parent he wanted.

Yep, I did this to my family. I fucked up bad! Time to own it and man up!

Tosh was asleep on the daybed with Miller snuggling into her hair once Jack had an epiphany that he was missing Ianto's locks that he usually fell asleep nestled in. Everyone had jumped to action and the house was finally tidy. Everything unpacked, boxes put away and the missing box had been found in the back of John's wardrobe much to John's confusion, Jack's relief and Miller's delight who has spent the next two hours attacking people with his toy minions and making angry baby snarls to show them the minions were not happy without Taddy either.

Rhys had laid down on the floor and Miller had proudly showed his "Unka Ree" all his minions. When Rhys had told Miller John had found the box with his stuff the little tyke had gasped and turned to glare at John in full Ianto-mode.

"Bad John-John" Miller had roared repeatedly while choosing his biggest plush toy and dragging it behind him as he crawled along the floor before pulling himself up onto John's lap and then ever so calmly taking his time to mark his target before whacking him about the head with it which had floored everyone. So Ianto-like even John sighed with remorse.

John's shrieks of terror as he begged the minion for mercy had finally pleased the Tot who had laughed until he choked as he hit him repeatedly in the head with the large plush minion. To see Miller smile was such a treat and Jack has been reduced to tears. A moment in Miller's life that Ianto had missed and he knew how much Ianto relished the little things Miller did. Hence Tosh staying and Owen occupying John in his room with a new zombie shooting game. Jack had locked himself in the main room for a while just hugging Ianto's pillow and breathing in his mate's fading scent while trying desperately to get the Tardis to pick up the damn phone.

He had left so many messages on the cell phone it wasn't funny only to find said cell phone in the bed where Ianto had obviously thrown it that day and now he was reduced to pleading with the Tardis to help.

Gods even she was angry with him. Late last night when the house was still he had rung her and spoken for over an hour to the silence at the other end about the house, Ianto and his remorse.

Tonight he had repeated the exercise and this time hadn't been able to stop the tears as he begged her to bring his mate back.

Watching Miller sleep while still looking for his Tadda with his ever stroking fingers broke Jack's heart and he replayed in his mind every stupid argument and decision that had led to this.

Jack gently moved "myfy" to one side so he could sit on the edge of the bed and Tosh opened one eye to watch him kiss his son's head. If only Miller would eat, his hair was lank and even his bottle sat untouched on the table. No matter what they tried they couldn't get it right when it came to Miler's diet.

"OK Jack?' she said softly so as not to wake the monster and Jack nodded sadly.

"I truly stuffed up aye Tosh" he sighed, "You were right when you said not to make any final decisions without Ianto, but really? How did we get to this?"

"Jack, you know how passionate Ianto is, it's one of the things you love about him, "she admonished, "You can't have it both ways. A strong willed man means a strong temper and a more fragile heart than he would admit."

"I just wanted to surprise him" he sighed.

"Yeah, well that worked didn't it" she scoffed then seeing his discomfort she tried another tack.

"Ianto feels trapped because you're making all the decisions. You may be the boss at work but you must let Ianto feel like he has some rein over the home or he'll never settle," she soothed Miller who was snuffling by rubbing his back. "This is his little boy, his little chick. This is supposed to be his nest. Let him make it his then he'll let you make it yours as well. "

"You think biting my tongue would help?" Jack moaned softly "God, I'll cut it out for the trouble it; caused me."

"Just stop trying to control everything. Ianto is the control freak remember?" She reminded, "Every time you overrule him or scoff at something he thinks he's doing it wrong. You've seen so many things, and had family before. This is Ianto's first time and he's been trying so hard to get it right. Any failure is his alone in his eyes. You bought this house without him so it's going to be hard for him to adjust when he didn't have the chance to even visualise what it could be. So this is your house, your stuff and everything is organised how you see it should be. Where is Ianto in any of that?"

After giving Jack a few moments to process she reached behind her head with her spare arm and pulled out a magazine she had found under the cushions.

"Who did this?" she asked showing him marked pages. "It's lovely."

Jack stared in shock at the kitchens chosen and saw the same theme in each. Wow! It would fit theirs. Shit. Ianto had been trying to adjust and he had just pushed him aside with his comment about getting someone in to do it one day and to forget about it. Once again he hadn't read things right and he had inadvertently stepped on Ianto's toes.

Jack nodded and then rubbed his face before looking back down at the nightlight that sat proudly by the bed. The colours flickered around the wall as Jack again thanked the gods that they had found the missing box.

Jack stroked his son's fine curls then froze as a faint noise came a familiar grind and with a sigh of relief he rose to greet the Tardis.


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto stood inside the door with a torrent of emotions washing over him. The Tardis had let him hear parts of Jack's message and the sobbing had given him bad dreams. He needed Jack and he needed him now but was this a surrender?

The Tardis was a cruel bitch when she needed to be and she had hated to see Ianto in pain but knew Jack's pain had merit too, so putting the two together seemed the best solution.

Her little chicklet had spent days in bed refusing to get out to toilet or bathe. He also refused to eat but he did accept a drink of tea now and then from River. Her leaving due to a fixed event had made things harder but Clara had a free week due to school break and now they were on track again. A new person on board had shaken Ianto out of his funk and Clara's shoulder was quite well used as well.

After explaining things to Clara as someone outside the mess he was able to see Jack's intentions hadn't been as mean as first thought.

She asked a lot of good questions and seemed to see right into the heart of the arguments, the Doctor sometimes gave his thoughts as well. Ianto found himself wondering if this doctor was sticking around more.

Clara was right that he should stand up for himself and his right as caregiver to Miller who was not a job and a lifetime's work ahead of him. Any child needed love forever, unconditionally. What kind of parent was he to abandon him. Clara also helped with that by pointing out a parent was still there, one who needed a bloody big wakeup call!

By the end of the month Ianto had started to pine so it was the perfect time to play the messages which had the desired affect. Also he had shaken most of his caffeine withdrawal and stopped comparing smells all the time realising it was him not the things he was smelling that was different.

The Doctor had promised it had not even been a week since he had left even though it had been over four in the Tardis and Ianto hoped things hadn't been too awkward. He seemed to trust this Doctor more than the last two who had been rather eccentric.

God he shouldn't have been so selfish, poor Miller who had done nothing wrong and whose cries had been heard in the background in the last message last night breaking Ianto's heart.

With another moment to shake the fear off, Ianto stepped into the garden and saw Jack waiting. It was dark and the garden was a cold place. Ianto began to visualize small lighting facing up and out in warm soft yellows to warm it more and maybe if they put an archway … stop it. He frowned at his silly thoughts. Jack would hate them and turned he attention to the wreak of a man who waited.

Jack saw Ianto look around with a wistful expression then frown. What was that? He waited for him to approach so as not to spook him and hoped desperately he would let him hold him. Finally he did just that, stepping into Jack's arms and resting his cheek against Jack's neck in such a familiar way that Jack lost it.

One moment they were standing and the next they were on the ground with jack howling and sobbing his apologies knowing he was making not sense but couldn't stop the stream of remorse.

"Oh Cariad" Ianto sobbed, pulling back to kiss Jack softly. "I'm sorry too, I was just overwhelmed. Too much too quickly yeah?"

Jack hic-upped and rubbed his eyes before taking Ianto's face in his hands and kissing him deeply.

"Let's not dwell on this major glitch, "the Doctor said clapping his hands to break them up, "you were both in need a bit of a break and I'm sure you are both sorry for how things turned out, yes?"

"Good, right, moving on," he boomed turning to look at the woman who was waiting by the door.

"Clara did you want to meet the little one?" he asked the dark haired girl before turning to look at Jack again. "She's a teacher you know!"

A squeal from the doorway showed Tosh holding Miller in her arms and with a smile she bent down to plop him on the soft grass but he jerked back, straightening his back and she recognised this as his "stand me up" pose.

Standing him on his feet she went to adjust his top and he was off. One foot, then the other still squealing and waving his hands at Ianto who had abandoned Jack to crawl closer.

With one last squeal and the fourth independent step Miller reached his crawling Tadda and with a scream of delight he threw himself forward into his arms.

"My baby" Ianto sobbed kissing his face and squeezing him tight," my brave clever boy!"

"Oh my gods" Jack yelled, "Did we get that on tape?"

Ianto looked up in shock, what? His first steps and he had almost missed it due to his own pride. Ianto began to cry which set Miller off and soon Jack had to join them on the grass as he hugged his family tight.

John put down the camera he'd wandered out with when they'd heard the Tardis and Owen quickly scooped it up to keep filming as John knelt the other side to Jack and joined the hug.

"Look Milly" Ianto sniffed with a smile, "A captain sandwich and not even two years old, Gods you're like your father aye?"

Everyone laughed and Jack squeezed a bit tighter.

"Yeah John and I will need to keep the armoury here fully stocked for when this one starts dating," Jack chortled as Miller smacked John's nose with his little fist.

"Hey come on little bug," John laughed, "share! I know he's your Tadda!"

"Yeah, but if the next one's a girl you'll never sleep without locking her bedroom door" the doctor laughed then slapped his hand over his mouth and stared at Ianto in silent apology.

Jack looked between the Doctor and Ianto as his eyes grew wider and wider with each change of direction.

"Um yeah, those bloody hormones aye? "Ianto whispered as Jack stared into his eyes to see the truth hidden there and he placed his shaking hand over Ianto's stomach.

It was John who yelled first, leaping to his feet with a battle cry and running to Owen before sweeping him into his arms and passionately kissing him. Owen's yelp of surprise was nothing compared to the yelp of pain as Tosh slapped her hand around John's junk and pulled sharply.

"Oi! Mine" she finally hissed pulling Owen from a from captain's arms in into hers. Owen laughed and kissed her sweetly before turning back to John.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"Yummy Yani! Chickie's hatching another bug dude!" John said with so much mixed meanings that Tosh got it before Owen and ran to hug Ianto while babbling about the nursery.

Owen groaned with dread, another pregnancy? Great bloody great! He stormed off trying not to grin until he was past the doors into the house so they couldn't see his glee.


End file.
